The market’s name is a giveaway — Padri Bazaar. Adjoining it is a locality of Protestants. They are part of Gorakhpur’s 10,000 Christians, most of whom live in the north of the city in a colony called Basharatpur.

The habit of breaking off our prayers before we have truly prayed is as common as it is unfortunate. Often the last ten minutes may mean more to us than the first half hour, because we must spend a long time getting into the proper mood to pray effectively.

When everybody saw the pitiable situation of the man with the withered hand, Jesus saw his glorious future. When everybody thought the man with the withered hand had nothing to look forward to in life, Jesus saw what he could become.

It is one of three Christian evangelical NGOs — the other two being Believers Church India and World Vision India — that figure among the top four foreign contribution grossers in the country last fiscal.

The church leaders of the country which is about 80 per cent Catholic, issued the special homily in response to an effort spearheaded by President Rodrigo Duterte to bring back capital punishment which was abolished in 2006.